| Lawrence O'Brien | |
| Riding: | Labrador |
| Parliament: | Canadian |
| Term Start: | March 26, 1996 |
| Term End: | December 16, 2004 |
| Predecessor: | Bill Rompkey |
| Successor: | Todd Russell |
| Birth Date: | 31 March 1951 |
| Birth Place: | L'Anse-au-Loup, Newfoundland |
| Death Place: | St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Party: | Liberal |
| Profession: | Teacher |
Lawrence David O'Brien (March 31, 1951 – December 16, 2004) was a Canadian politician. O’Brien represented Labrador in the House of Commons of Canada as a Liberal from 1996 until his death in 2004.
Born in L'Anse-au-Loup, Newfoundland and Labrador, O’Brien was an adult education instructor, a public servant, a teacher, and from 1985 to 1996, and a town councillor in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. He served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans from 1999 to 2001. He was a strong supporter of a 2003 constitutional amendment which officially changed the name of the province of Newfoundland to "Newfoundland and Labrador".
O'Brien was a candidate for the provincial Liberal nomination in the district of Cartwright-L'anse au Clair in 1996. After his loss in that race, he entered, and won, the federal Liberal nomination for the by-election in the riding of Labrador, vacated by the appointment of Bill Rompkey to the Senate. O'Brien was elected in the federal by-election on March 25, 1996,[1] [2] and re-elected in the general elections of 1997,[3] 2000,[4] and 2004.[5]
He was diagnosed with cancer in 1998[6] and died on December 16, 2004, in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.[7] On January 31, 2005, the members of the House of Commons paid respects to him and his career.